Review: Apple's new iPad

Review: Apple's new iPad

As was widely anticipated, Apple unveiled the third-generation iPad last
March 7 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Analysts
speculated that we would see the iPad 3 or perhaps the iPad HD but Cupertino
defied all in attendance by simply calling it "the new iPad."

Apple's new iPad ($499-829, 4.5 stars) has the highest-resolution screen
we've ever seen on a tablet. And while all the existing iPad apps run just
fine, apps with graphics designed for the new Retina display look especially
spectacular.

The new iPad is slightly heavier than last year's model; apps and movies
optimized for the screen might take up more space; and ports for HDMI, USB,
and SD require adapters.

Color reproduction is also improved greatly over the previous models. I've
never been unhappy with the way the iPad 2 displayed colors, but you can tell
at a glance that the colors are more vibrant and nuanced on the new screen.
On the old iPad, the Facebook icon looks blue; on the new one, you can see
that it's more of a purple tone. Useful? Maybe not. But once you've used it,
you won't want to go back to a less-colorful screen.